1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a print instruction method to an image forming apparatus corresponding to a network, conventionally, a method of transmitting image data to a print service provided by the image forming apparatus using a specified protocol has been adopted. However, this method contains such an issue that any client which does not support the specified protocol cannot issue a print instruction.
As a resolution for the issue, a technique for issuing a print instruction using electronic mail has been discussed. A client (information processing apparatus) transmits an electronic mail, to which image data that a user wants to print is attached, to an electronic mail address (mail address) allocated to each image forming apparatus. After receiving the electronic mail, a mail server processes the image data attached to the electronic mail to print data, and issues a print instruction to an image forming apparatus specified as a destination of the electronic mail. After receiving the print instruction, the image forming apparatus receives and prints the print data.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 06-077994 discusses a technique in which a print option is specified by describing a parameter relating to print such as two-sided print, color print, or the like (hereinafter referred to as a “print option”) in a parameter file and attaching the parameter to an electronic mail.
However, according to the method discussed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 06-077994, it is necessary to create a parameter file at a mobile terminal to specify a print option thereby requiring time and labor, which is an issue. Additionally, a user needs to know how to describe the parameter file, and there is no easy means for specifying the print option through an electronic mail.